Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar Episode: 2/23/26 — "Tucker Vs Huckabee On Israel, Sachs Flames Trump On Iran And Tariffs" Date: February 23, 2026

Overview

This episode of Breaking Points delivers a fearless, anti-establishment analysis of recent political developments, focusing specifically on:

• Tucker Carlson’s explosive interview with Ambassador Mike Huckabee regarding Israel and the Greater Israel project,
• The prospect of US war with Iran, with sharp critique from Jeffrey Sachs,
• The fallout from the Supreme Court ruling on Trump-era tariffs,
• Broader commentary on political honesty, US foreign policy, and accountability.

Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti blend deep, pointed analysis with their trademark wit, while guest Jeffrey Sachs brings scholarly rigor and outspoken critique of US and Israeli policy.

Key Segments and Timestamps

• [02:14] Show Overview and Topics
• [10:07] Breaking Down Tucker Carlson vs. Mike Huckabee Interview
• [17:16] Debate: “Right to the Land” – Genetics, Ancestry, and Israel
• [21:23] Jonathan Pollard and Embassy Controversy
• [27:10] IDF vs. US Military: The “Most Moral Army” Debate
• [35:20] Guest Interview: Professor Jeffrey Sachs on Iran, Israel, US Foreign Policy
• [53:29] Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs: Sachs on Economic Policy

Episode Breakdown

1. Show Overview and Opening Commentary

[02:14]

• Krystal and Saagar open by highlighting the critical, independent role of their show.
• Major stories on the docket:
  • Tucker vs. Huckabee on Israel (“Greater Israel” based on biblical scripture)
  • Rising tensions and prospects of war with Iran
  • Live insights from Jeffrey Sachs
  • Analysis of recent cartel violence in Mexico and the grassroots anti–AI data center movement

Saagar:
"We have an amazing show for everybody today."
Krystal:
"The big Tucker Carlson vs. Mike Huckabee interview... has caused huge fallout in the region."

2. Tucker Carlson Grills Mike Huckabee on Israel & Greater Israel Project

[10:07]

A. The “Biblical Deed” Argument

[10:31–13:52]

• Tucker Carlson presses Huckabee, the US Ambassador to Israel, on his citing of Genesis to justify Israeli sovereignty over vast swaths of the Middle East.
• Huckabee states:
  "Israel has a right to the entire Middle East... from the Euphrates to the Nile." [10:31]
• Saagar and Krystal dissect the diplomatic backlash, with multiple Middle Eastern countries issuing a rare joint condemnation.
• Krystal notes:
  "People like you and I... were treated like conspiracy theorists for talking about Greater Israel. Is this now US policy?" [14:22]

B. The Implications for US Foreign Policy

• Saagar points out the contradiction:
  "We hear about the irrationality of Iranian religious zealotry, but what do we call this—using biblical scripture to erase international law?" [14:22]
• Both hosts stress the real-world diplomatic and military risks, especially regarding coalition-building against Iran.

3. Blood, Genes, and 'Right to the Land'

[17:16]

• Carlson raises pointed questions regarding Jewish “right of return” vs. Palestinian indigeneity, pushing Huckabee on why Israelis descended from Eastern Europe are prioritized over locals with genetic ties to the land.

• Huckabee struggles to answer:
  "How do we know that Bibi’s [Netanyahu’s] ancestors ever lived here?" [18:12] Tucker Carlson: "I’m totally unable to process what you’re getting at." [18:50]

• Krystal:
  "My children have more right [per Israeli law] to live there than someone whose family has been there for thousands of years." [19:06]

• Discussion expands to the racist hierarchy within Israeli immigration policies, referencing comments from former Israeli PM Ehud Barak:
  "He preferred people who were new converts in Russia over those we had to take in from these other regions that we look down upon." [20:31]

4. Controversy: Jonathan Pollard’s Embassy Visit

[21:23]

• Tucker confronts Huckabee over why he met with convicted US-Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard at the US Embassy.

• Huckabee minimizes, calling it merely a 30-minute meeting, but sidesteps the optics of hosting a convicted traitor.

• Saagar denounces the move:
  "How do you let a spy on US soil and keep your job?" [24:47]

• Krystal:
  "It surprises me he doesn’t have a better defense, given this was the genesis of the war of words between him and Tucker." [24:47]

5. The “Most Moral Army” Defense & The Gaza War Comparison

[27:10]

• Carlson asserts:
  "Israel goes to lengths no other country, including ours, goes to in the middle of an urban war... with fewer civilian deaths than any urban war of record—even if you take Hamas’s numbers." [27:10]

• Mike Huckabee:
  "You said you didn’t know how many civilian deaths there were. So how can you say that?" [27:24]

• Saagar calls out the claim as insulting to US service members:
  "He insulted every GWOT veteran when he said the IDF is more humane than the United States military." [27:10]

• Krystal points out: "We didn’t institute a complete and total siege. We didn’t brag about starving people to death. We didn’t make it a policy of mass destroying hospitals, churches, schools." [31:22]

6. Guest Segment: Professor Jeffrey Sachs

[35:20]

A. On Huckabee’s Comments: A Call for Immediate Resignation

[36:59; 38:43]

• Sachs:
  "Huckabee should resign immediately... He is the quintessential Christian, Zionist biblical fundamentalist who wants to determine American policy by his reading of a biblical passage from 2,500 years ago." [36:59] "If it is our policy [to support Greater Israel], state it, so the American people will know we are led by the most dangerous kind of delusion imaginable." [38:43]

B. Prospects of War with Iran

[39:44]

• Sachs exposes the fallacy behind claims of a looming Iranian nuclear threat: "Iran has said that it does not want a nuclear weapon, and it has said so for decades... Trump, because he is a pawn of Netanyahu, ripped up [the JCPOA]." [39:44-44:15]

• Critiques bipartisan subservience to Israeli interests: "Why has the United States done what Israel has told us to do for 30 years?... That’s a policy of endless war." [44:15]

C. Critique of Tariff Policies & Supreme Court Ruling

[53:29]

• Sachs lauds the Supreme Court decision as significant:
  "The only thing I couldn’t predict is whether the Supreme Court would cave in. But they did a very good job... They owe us $140 billion [in illegally collected tariffs]." [53:58]

• Explains how Trump’s claimed authority to impose tariffs is, again, illegal: "He has maybe five ways to cheat, but he’s cheating again and deepening the mess." [60:25]

• Warns that Americans—not foreigners—are paying: "This was money coming out of your household income... $1,000 per household in this first round of illegal power grab." [61:50]

D. On ‘Economic Statecraft’ and U.S. Sanctions

[51:24; 66:30]

• Sachs calls out US officials boasting about “crushing” the Iranian economy: "Our own Treasury Secretary said... it was America's policy to crush the Iranian economy... and with a smirk says, 'We call this economic statecraft.'" [51:24]

• On attempts to coerce Mexico vis-à-vis Cuba:
  "What Trump is trying to do to bring down Cuba in a regime change operation is illegal, cruel, an act of war." [66:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Krystal Ball:
  "This is the humiliation ritual—apparently we have this special country [Israel], but everywhere else the right of conquest applies. That’s the madness through which our policy is flowing." [14:22]

• Saagar Enjeti:
  "How can you, as the ambassador, do an interview where you spark a diplomatic crisis... and keep your job? How can you insult the US military and keep your job?" [29:46]

• Jeffrey Sachs:
  "We have no interest whatsoever in going to war with Iran right now. If there is such a war, it’s because Israel has told the US what to do." [44:15]

• Tucker Carlson (interviewing Huckabee):
  "So God gave that land to his people, the Jews, or he didn’t. You’re saying he did. What does that mean? Does Israel have the right to that land?" [11:31]

• Krystal Ball:
  "Woke does not hold a candle to Zionists in the way they view the world through this hard sectarian lens." [31:22]

• Jeffrey Sachs:
  "Economic statecraft should not mean the suffering of other people. It should not mean a Middle East that's aflame from Libya to Iran." [66:30]

Analysis & Tone

• The hosts’ tone is sharp, often incredulous, barbed with sarcasm—“humiliation ritual,” “coping,” and “endless cope” recur.
• Jeffrey Sachs brings intellectual gravity, but also direct, unvarnished critique, calling for official resignations and repudiations.
• The episode is outright damning of current US foreign policymaking and its subservience to Israeli interests, accusing both Trump and his administration openly.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This was a high-impact episode that dissected bombshell claims and interviews at the heart of US–Middle East policy debates. The hosts and guest pull no punches, especially on:

• The open acceptance by US officials of biblical justification for expansionist policies
• The real risks and drivers behind talk of war with Iran (blaming US subservience to Israel)
• The economic costs and legality of Trump’s trade maneuvering
• Meaningful, not cosmetic, accountability for officials and systems

If you’re looking for deep, unfiltered analysis that goes past the headlines and mainstream narratives, this episode stands out as one of the most important in the current season.